Data management system for problems, releases and parts
First Claim
1. A data management system for file and database management useful in concurrent engineering processes, comprising:
- a design control system for fulfilling requests of a user initiated from a computer system client system coupled to a network, includinga data management control system for managing a plurality of projects, each project having a data repository for data records and a control repository comprising a common access interface and one or more databases,said control repository communicating with users of said design control system for fulfilling requests of a user and the data repositories of said data management control system through a plurality of managers, each manager performing a unique function wherein said managers act as building blocks which can be combined in a plurality of manners to support an environment for suitable for multiple users of a user community, and whereinone of said managers is a library manager enabling automated library processing of any application program or tool to be launched using input data from said data management control system and after processing enabling results to be recorded as output data in any data control repository of said data management control system as a record in said data control repository; and
one of said managers is a fix manager for tracking specific iterations of a data object and for associating them with unique problem identifier for a problem, request or enhancement; and
one of said managers is a part number manager for tracking data requiring control of items or parts so as to eliminate the accidental assignment of the same number to two different items or parts; and
one of said managers is a release manager for tracking a coherent collection of data objects in said control repository for release as a collection to an external organization to permit the external organization to prepare for a release; and
said data management control system has a client/server domain and permits data to span multiple computer heterogeneous computer systems; and
each of said records in said data control repository includes data indicating the record filename, library, filetype, version and level, and said fix manager provides means for associating each record with problem identifiers; and
whereinsaid fix manager provides operations for multiple modes of tracking problems, including;
disabling all problem fix tracking in all data objects;
collecting any selected data types to be tracked under a single, default problem identifier; and
enabling each data object to have a unique set of problem identifiers whereby multiple pieces of data can be associated with a single problem or a single piece of data for resolving multiple problemsand wherein a library function enables multiple versions of a component data element to be developed in tandem while using the same object name and residing in the same library and at the same level simultaneously.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A design control system suitable for use in connection with the design of integrated circuits and other elements of manufacture having many parts which need to be developed in a concurrent engineering environment with inputs provides by users and or systems which may be located anywhere in the world provides a set of control information for coordinating movement of the design information through development and to release while providing dynamic tracking of the status of elements of the bills of materials in an integrated and coordinated activity control system utilizing a repository which can be implemented in the form of a database (relational, object oriented, etc.) or using a flat file system. Once a model is created and/or identified by control information design libraries hold the actual pieces of the design under control of the system without limit to the number of libraries, and providing for tracking and hierarchical designs which are allowed to traverse through multiple libraries. Data Managers become part of the design team, and libraries are programmable to meet the needs of the design group they service.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A data management system for file and database management useful in concurrent engineering processes, comprising:
- a design control system for fulfilling requests of a user initiated from a computer system client system coupled to a network, including
a data management control system for managing a plurality of projects, each project having a data repository for data records and a control repository comprising a common access interface and one or more databases, said control repository communicating with users of said design control system for fulfilling requests of a user and the data repositories of said data management control system through a plurality of managers, each manager performing a unique function wherein said managers act as building blocks which can be combined in a plurality of manners to support an environment for suitable for multiple users of a user community, and wherein one of said managers is a library manager enabling automated library processing of any application program or tool to be launched using input data from said data management control system and after processing enabling results to be recorded as output data in any data control repository of said data management control system as a record in said data control repository; and one of said managers is a fix manager for tracking specific iterations of a data object and for associating them with unique problem identifier for a problem, request or enhancement; and one of said managers is a part number manager for tracking data requiring control of items or parts so as to eliminate the accidental assignment of the same number to two different items or parts; and one of said managers is a release manager for tracking a coherent collection of data objects in said control repository for release as a collection to an external organization to permit the external organization to prepare for a release; and said data management control system has a client/server domain and permits data to span multiple computer heterogeneous computer systems; and each of said records in said data control repository includes data indicating the record filename, library, filetype, version and level, and said fix manager provides means for associating each record with problem identifiers; and
whereinsaid fix manager provides operations for multiple modes of tracking problems, including; disabling all problem fix tracking in all data objects; collecting any selected data types to be tracked under a single, default problem identifier; and enabling each data object to have a unique set of problem identifiers whereby multiple pieces of data can be associated with a single problem or a single piece of data for resolving multiple problems and wherein a library function enables multiple versions of a component data element to be developed in tandem while using the same object name and residing in the same library and at the same level simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (2)
- a design control system for fulfilling requests of a user initiated from a computer system client system coupled to a network, including
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3. A data management system for file and database management useful in concurrent engineering processes, comprising:
- a design control system for fulfilling requests of a user initiated from a computer system client system coupled to a network, including
a data management control system for managing a plurality of projects, each project having a data repository for data records and a control repository comprising a common access interface and one or more databases, said control repository communicating with users of said design control system for fulfilling requests of a user and the data repositories of said data management control system through a plurality of managers, each manager performing a unique function, wherein said managers act as building blocks which can be combined in a plurality of manners to support an environment for suitable for multiple users of a user community, and wherein one of said managers is a library manager enabling automated library processing of any application program or tool to be launched using input data from said data management control system and after processing enabling results to be recorded as output data in any data control repository of said data management control system as a record in said data control repository; and one of said managers is a fix manager for tracking specific iterations of a data object and for associating them with unique problem identifier for a problem, request or enhancement; and one of said managers is a part number manager for tracking data requiring control of items or parts so as to eliminate the accidental assignment of the same number to two different items or parts; and one of said managers is a release manager for tracking a coherent collection of data objects in said control repository for release as a collection to an external organization to permit the external organization to prepare for a release; and said data management control system has a client/server domain and permits data to span multiple computer heterogeneous computer systems; and each of said records in said data control repository includes data indicating the record filename, library, filetype, version and level, and said fix manager provides means for associating each record with problem identifiers; and wherein said data management system includes flags in records which are subject to tracking, and wherein restricting the library filetypes by setting and resetting said flags controls the library file types being tracked. - View Dependent Claims (4, 17)
- a design control system for fulfilling requests of a user initiated from a computer system client system coupled to a network, including
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5. A data management system for file and database management useful in concurrent engineering processes, comprising:
- a design control system for fulfilling requests of a user initiated from a computer system client system coupled to a network, including
a data management control system for managing a plurality of projects, each project having a data repository for data records and a control repository comprising a common access interface and one or more databases, said control repository communicating with users of said design control system for fulfilling requests of a user and the data repositories of said data management control system through a plurality of managers, each manager performing a unique function, wherein said managers act as building blocks which can be combined in a plurality of manners to support an environment for suitable for multiple users of a user community, and wherein one of said managers is a library manager enabling automated library processing of any application program or tool to be launched using input data from said data management control system and after processing enabling results to be recorded as output data in any data control repository of said data management control system as a record in said data control repository; and one of said managers is a fix manager for tracking specific iterations of a data object and for associating them with unique problem identifier for a problem, request or enhancement; and one of said managers is a part number manager for tracking data requiring control of items or parts so as to eliminate the accidental assignment of the same number to two different items or parts; and one of said managers is a release manager for tracking a coherent collection of data objects in said control repository for release as a collection to an external organization to permit the external organization to prepare for a release; and said data management control system has a client/server domain and permits data to span multiple computer heterogeneous computer systems; and each of said records in said data control repository includes data indicating the record filename, library, filetype, version and level, and said fix manager provides means for associating each record with problem identifiers; and wherein a data object may exist at multiple library levels, and a superseded flag is provided for denoting whether a particular data object reference is superseded by a later iteration at a lower level, the lowest level file being the active or non-superseded data object. - View Dependent Claims (6)
- a design control system for fulfilling requests of a user initiated from a computer system client system coupled to a network, including
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7. A data management system for file and database management useful in concurrent engineering processes, comprising:
- a design control system for fulfilling requests of a user initiated from a computer system client system coupled to a network, including
a data management control system for managing a plurality of projects, each project having a data repository for data records and a control repository comprising a common access interface and one or more databases, said control repository communicating with users of said design control system for fulfilling requests of a user and the data repositories of said data management control system through a plurality of managers, each manager performing a unique function, wherein said managers act as building blocks which can be combined in a plurality of manners to support an environment for suitable for multiple users of a user community, and wherein one of said managers is a library manager enabling automated library processing of any application program or tool to be launched using input data from said data management control system and after processing enabling results to be recorded as output data in any data control repository of said data management control system as a record in said data control repository; and one of said managers is a fix manager for tracking specific iterations of a data object and for associating them with unique problem identifier for a problem, request or enhancement; and one of said managers is a part number manager for tracking data requiring control of items or parts so as to eliminate the accidental assignment of the same number to two different items or parts; and one of said managers is a release manager for tracking a coherent collection of data objects in said control repository for release as a collection to an external organization to permit the external organization to prepare for a release; and said data management control system has a client/server domain and permits data to span multiple computer heterogeneous computer systems; and each of said records in said data control repository includes data indicating the record filename, library, filetype, version and level, and said fix manager provides means for associating each record with problem identifiers; and wherein said release control manager maintains a pool of release or engineering change (EC) numbers which are associated to problem fix numbers and part numbers via interaction between said fix manager, part number manager, release control manager and library manager enabling both association during file movement through the data management system and manual associations so as to enable a user regarding a release to view all the problems, data and Part Number information included in the entire release. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18)
- a design control system for fulfilling requests of a user initiated from a computer system client system coupled to a network, including
Specification